eady
for the wife of an officer just coming out of hospital, but there would
be time to prepare another. Our dear invalid was carried upstairs in her
husband's arms, and I put her to bed while a doctor was sent for. Of
course, we had no permission to spend a night at Soissons, but I began
to foresee that we should have to stay unless we were turned out by the
military authorities.

When the doctor came--a _medecin major_ fetched from a hospital by our
officer-guide--he said that Madame was suffering from malarial symptoms;
she must have been poisoned. So then of course we remembered the sting
on her throat. He examined it, looked rather grave, and warned Father
Beckett that _Madame sa femme_ would not be able to travel that day. She
had a high temperature, and at best must have a day or two of repose,
with no food save a little boiled milk.

Soissons seemed the last place in France to hope for milk of any
description, but the doctor promised it from the hospital if it couldn't
be got elsewhere, and added with pride that Soissons was not without
resources. "When the Germans came three years ago," he said, "most of
the inhabitants had fled, taking what they could carry. Only seven
hundred souls were left, out of fifteen thousand, but many have come
back: we have more than two thousand now, and some of them behaved like
heroes and heroines. Oh yes, we may almost say that life goes on
normally! You shall have all the milk you need for Madame."

When she had taken some medicine, and smiled at him, Father Beckett left
his wife in my care, and rushed off to arrange about permission to stop.
The _medecin major_ and our officer-guide were useful. After telephoning
from the military hospital to headquarters, everything was arranged; and
we were authorized to remain in Soissons, at our own risk and peril.
Madame Bornier prepared rooms for us all; but there weren't enough to go
round, so Brian and Julian O'Farrell were put together, and Dierdre and
I! She, by the way, is in bed at this moment, whether asleep or not I
don't know; but if not she is pretending. Her lashes are very long, and
she looks prettier than I ever saw her look before. But that may be
because I like her better. I told you, that after what she did for Brian
I could never dislike that girl again: but there has been another
incident since then, about which I will tell you to-morrow. You know,
I'm not easily tired, but this is our second night at Soissons. I sat u